Multi-tool (lightweight)

[O D]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a lightweight multi-tool? I don't want to scimp down to just a single blade because I want the versatility of the multi-tool. That said, weight is a critcal factor.

[jacko vanderbijl]

http://www.rei.com/product/802327/leatherman-style-cs-multitool

Haven't seen this anywhere but REI but I have one purchased online (offset mail costs by buying an Icebreaker Tee at same time).
Functionality is not much more than the small Victrinox which I also have but it is a genuine Leatherman and in a different league for strength etc. Mine weighs 41gms.
The blade is short but deadly (you need to watch which side is sharp because both sides are curved (painful lesson). To give you a rather gross comparison with the little Victrinox, I often trim my nostril hairs with the Victrinox scissors, the Leatherman scares me too much to put the scissors in there. (Where do blowfies go in winter? Up old mens noses, if you look closely you can see their legs)

Cheers

[O D]

Sorry, I should have mentioned that the key tool I am after (other than a blade) is the pliers. I'm seeing Leathermans at around the 120-170g (4-6oz) range, but I suspect that there are some lighter options available.

[Andy Anderson]

I have a Mini Buck Multi Tool I bought about 10 years ago. Its tiny and light. I think it has been discontinued, but I'm sure you can find on ebay. It is a cool tool to carry in your pocket but don't expect to do any serious work with it. Here is a review.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=1533.0

[Michael B]

how about the squirt?

http://www.leatherman.com/product/Squirt_PS4

[Dan Rimar]

The Squirt PS4 is what you are looking for. I just picked one up a week ago and love it. It is under 2 oz.

[two pints]

I have a squirt S4 with the scissors featured as the main tool. I like the tools on it, but stopped using because of the grind on the blade. They only sharpen one side of the blade, like a chisel. Thus, when I wasn't paying attention, I pushed my thumb up against the sharpened side and gave myself a nasty cut. I guess I could go ahead and sharpen the other side of the blade, but honestly, I prefer using my Gerber LST or my SAK Bantam instead of a small multitool.

I also have a juice S2, which I carry every day. It's a little robust for me to take backpacking with me, but I love all the tools on it. Good phillips driver, 3 sizes of standard screw drivers, good pliers, good scissors, good blade, bottle/can opener. I would take it backpacking with me, but the darn thing weighs 4.4oz and I just haven't found much of a need for pliers and screw drivers on the trail. Very functional for EDC though.

[Emil Gazda]

I take the Gerber Clutch. Only 2.5oz I think. Doesn't have scissors though. Payed $9 for it.

[Colin Krusor]

I agree with Dan. I've had a Leatherman Squirt PS4 for about two years now. I had small Gerber and Sog multitools before that, and the PS4 is sturdier and has smoother mechanical movements. The Gerber was a folded sheet metal joke that had loose hinges and sloopy craftsmanship, and the little Sog seemed fragile.

Also, the PS4 has screws that make it easy to swap parts. If you don't want the screwdrivers but you want something else, it is a cinch to switch them. There are instructions online about how to do this. I got rid of the screwdrivers on mine and put in a saw blade and a serrated knife blade in addition to the straight knife blade. The saw blade, although short, works beautifully. I used it to cut through a wrist-thick hickory pickaxe handle and I've made long cuts in fence boards when I didn't have any other tool handy. I also find the scissors very handy for all kinds of tasks. They are tough and sharp.

As Dan said, it weighs something like 1.8 ounces.

[Piney]

For a more conventionally shaped plier with more gripping force check out the Swiss Tech Micro-Plus EX. On sale at Radio Shack for like $6. If I could find mine I'd weigh it but I have another still in the cardboard/blister pack and that weighs just under 3 oz. So probably about 2.5 oz.

That said the Squirt has way more options so I have one of those on order.

[Gary]

Colin,

Where did you get the saw blade from? Ando can you post a link to those instructions? I couldnt find them.

Thanks,
Gary

[Link .]

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=33095

[Andy F]

"the key tool I am after (other than a blade) is the pliers"

OD, mind if I ask what you need pliers for? :)

[G Watson]

True Utility Scarab @ 1.6oz. ?
http://www.trueutility.com/pocket-tools-store/scarab_multi_tool.html

[Mary D]

I have an older Leatherman Squirt P4. It has pliers but not scissors. However, I find that the regular blade works just fine so I don't need the scissors. The model with both scissors and pliers came out later but I haven't felt the need to buy one.

I use the pliers more than any other part. I don't have a lot of strength or dexterity in my fingertips, so I need the pliers for gripping ends of straps and such when adjusting pack straps (mine or my dog's). I also use the pliers as a pot gripper, since my pot has no handle. The second most-used item is the file (used for fingernails and toenails, which split/break off easily if not filed daily.). The blade is a distant third. I also use the large screwdriver blade for prying (gently) and the littlest one to tighten the screws on my eyeglasses.

[Colin Krusor]

Gary, I describe the saw blade and the process for replacing parts a bit in the thread that Anna linked. There are also threads in various knife and multitool forums about how to do this.

Since that thread that Anny linked, I replaced the half serrated, half straight blade with one all serrated and one straight blade.

[Heather Hohnholz]

http://sogknives.com/store/CC-51.html

1.6 oz/45g. Super strong, durable, and has pretty much everything I want.

[Mark Primack]

Here's the review I did here of the Leatherman PS. Fantastic little tool.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/reviews/display_reviews?forum_thread_id=41080&cat=Miscellaneous%20Products&cid=65

[Bill Reynolds]

AT 3 1/2 ounces it is not ultralight but has a good blade and saw. It is made in China but the quality seems to be good.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Multitool/1269129.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch%2F%3FN%3D%26No%3D20%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dmulti%2Btool%26Ntx%3Dmode%252Bmatchallpartial%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts%26WTz_st%3D%26WTz_stype%3DSP%26form_state%3DsearchForm%26search%3Dmulti%2Btool%26searchTypeByFilter%3DAllProducts%26x%3D0%26y%3D0&Ntt=multi+tool&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

I have the Buck mini, the PS4 Squirt and several others. I wouldn't take this on a thru but it is great for shorter trips or camping. And you can't beat the price.

[John Donewar]

O D,

My choice is the Leatherman Micra.

1.75 ounces on my digital scale. The Micra has scissors, a clip-point knife blade, tweezers, nail file / cleaner, flat Phillips screwdriver, extra small screwdriver, medium screwdriver, bottle opener, ruler (inch / metric) and a lanyard attachment.

I use the scissors on the Micra the most but the screwdrivers on this little multi-tool are handy to have also. I have trekking poles with the flick lock style adjustment. The screws in the flick locks do need to be tightened periodically to avoid slippage. The Micra is a lot handier than carrying a dedicated screwdriver, knife, tweezers etc. It is also much more compact and weighs less than my 4" Mora fixed blade knife.

Party On,

Newton

[Simon Wurster]

I used the Style, the Squirt P4, the Style CS, and now use the new Style PS < http://www.leatherman.com/product/Style_PS&gt;. Note that it has no blade; the hope is this tool will get approved by the TSA for carry-on use.

As Mary said, I use it as my pot gripper, saving an ounce off my pack. But the big bonus is I can open and close the scissors with one hand! As the tool I use the most, this is important to me, since I've always used an assisted opening knife for all of my cutting tasks.

[Dan Rimar]

Just a couple notes.. I've been carying the Squirt PS4 every day both in real life and on day hikes. It really comes in handy. I like the ergonomics. The pliers are on the inside, all of the edges are nicely rounded so they are comfortable to use. All other tools, including the sissors, are accessed from the outside- no need to open it to get at anything except the pliers.

I have the new model with both pliers and sissors. It weighs exactly 2 oz. on both of my scales. The new model is not held together by easy to remove allen screws- the screws are rounded and smooth and would not be easy to remove.

Keep in mind the OP needs a tool with pliers, some of you are posting tools that have sissors instaed of pliers.

[Colin Krusor]

Dan, it's disappointing to hear that the new PS4 has screws that are not easily removable. That was one of the great things about the older model, I thought. I wonder why they made that change. It seems to me that customizability would be a good marketing angle.

I guess you could still use a dremel to notch the screws and remove them with a flathead screwdriver, then replace them with allen screws, but that is a hassle and many people don't have the tools or the time for that. This seems like a missed opportunity for Leatherman.

[Author]

Posts